2010-01-22

Continuing on with the slides from the 1958 Brussels World's Fair — here's an amazing overview of the Fair looking towards the Porte de L'Atomium.

The area to the left of the avenue is the Belgian Section. The large square building is the Buildings and Housings exhibit. The tall white structure with the colorful mural across Avenue de la Construction is the Glass, Ceramics and Terra Cotta industries pavilion. Next to that is Town Planning. Behind that, with the bright red roof is the Coca Cola building. The globe is part of the Solvay pavilion. The round building on the right, Brabrant Hall, had a impuvium roof which was visible through the glass walls. The curved blue structure on the right of the avenue is the sewing pavilion (Singer, Bernina/Orion).

On the far left, under the zig-zag walkway can be seen the Map of Belgium, a 1.3500 scale model with working parts. This is the Civil Engineering pavilion, and although you can't see it well from this angle, the building was a daring piece of work.

The Civil Engineering building under construction, showing the walkway suspended by the cantilevered pylon.

The relief map of Belgium, showing positions of chief public works (bridges, tunnels, etc). The map is spanned by a footbridge, 17 feet high, which was entirely unsupported from the ground. It was suspended by the Civil Engineering building's cantilever (see above), which rose to a height of 120 feet.

Another view of the map (really a model!) showing considerable detail in craftsmanship.

This area is now called Mini Europe and is thriving still under the shadow of the Atomium.